Apparatus and method for establishing maintenance routes within a process control system

Abstract

Generating a maintenance route in a process control system includes creating an initial ordered list of all wireless nodes in direct communication with a wireless gateway, where the nodes are ordered by signal strength with the wireless gateway device. A subsequent ordered list is created of all nodes in direct communication with first node of the initial ordered list, where the nodes are ordered by signal strength with the first node. The subsequent ordered list is then appended to the initial ordered list after the first node. This process of creating a subsequent list and appending the initial list is iteratively repeated thereafter, each time accounting for the next node in the appended ordered list following the previous iteration until all nodes are accounted for. In the last iteration, the nodes correspond to stop points along the route and the order corresponds to the route to be taken among the stop points.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of automatically generating a maintenance route in a process control system, wherein the process control system includes a wireless gateway network device and a plurality of process devices in wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device, the method implemented via one or more processors, the method comprising:
 for each process device, beginning with the first process device, in an initial list of process devices in direct wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device, where the process devices of the initial list are ranked therein according to a signal strength of a wireless connection with the wireless gateway network device, iteratively selecting the process devices from the initial list; and   with each iteration, appending the initial list with the remaining process devices from the plurality of process devices until the plurality of process devices are included in the appended initial list by:
 creating a subsequent list of process devices in direct wireless communication with the process device selected from the initial list, wherein the process devices of the subsequent list are ranked therein according to a signal strength of a wireless connection with the process device selected from the initial list; and 
 appending the initial list with the process devices in the subsequent list, wherein each process device appended to the initial list is ranked therein after the process device selected from the initial list according to the signal strength of its wireless connection with the process device selected from the initial list, unless the process device from the subsequent list is already ranked in the initial list ahead of the selected process device from the initial list. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising creating the initial list of process devices in direct wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device, where the process devices of the initial list are ranked therein according to the signal strength of the wireless connection between each process device in the initial list and the wireless gateway network device, with higher signal strengths ranked ahead of weaker signal strengths. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein for a process device from the subsequent list that is already ranked in the initial list from a previous iteration of the initial list, appending the initial list comprises re-ranking the already-ranked process device in the initial list after the selected process device from the initial list according to the signal strength of its wireless connection with the process device selected from the initial list. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring the signal strength of a wireless connection between each process device in direct wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device and the wireless gateway network device, wherein the signal strength is interpreted as correlating to the physical proximity of the process device to the wireless gateway network device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring the signal strength of a wireless connection between each process device in direct wireless communication with another process device, wherein the signal strength is interpreted as correlating to the physical proximity of the process devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising defining a physical route among the process devices according to the ranking of the process devices in the appended initial list after the plurality of process devices are included in the appended initial list, wherein each process device in the appended initial list corresponds to a stop point along the route. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a start of the physical route comprises the physical location within the process control system of the process device first listed in the appended initial list, wherein the process device first listed in the appended initial list corresponds to the process device having the strongest signal strength with the wireless network gateway device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising displaying the physical route on a display screen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising displaying the physical route to a user on a handheld device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising mapping the physical route over a map of the process control system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein defining a physical route among the process devices comprises selecting process devices from the appended initial list according to one or more of the following: process devices needing calibration, process devices needing maintenance and process devices needing data collection. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying process devices along a communication route within a wireless network, wherein each of the process devices in the initial list comprises a first process device along a communication route from the wireless network gateway device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein identifying process devices along a communication route within the wireless network comprises identifying process devices along a communication route within the wireless network using traceroute. 
     
     
         14 . A method of generating a maintenance route in a process control system, wherein the process control system includes a wireless network comprising a wireless gateway network device and a plurality of wireless network nodes, each of which is in wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device either directly or via another wireless network node, the method implemented on one or more processors, the method comprising:
 creating a primary ordered list of wireless network nodes in direct wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device, wherein the wireless network nodes comprising the primary ordered list are organized according to decreasing signal strength with the wireless gateway network device; and   iteratively appending the primary ordered list with the remaining wireless network nodes, wherein each iteration comprises:
 selecting a wireless network node from the previous iteration of the primary ordered list; 
 creating a secondary ordered list of wireless network nodes in direct wireless communication with the selected wireless network node, wherein the wireless network nodes comprising the secondary ordered list are organized according to decreasing signal strength with the selected wireless network node; and 
 appending the primary ordered list with the wireless network nodes of the secondary ordered list after the selected wireless network node. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein creating a primary ordered list comprises:
 selecting a wireless network node from among the plurality of wireless network nodes;   determining the hop count of the selected wireless network node with respect to the wireless gateway network device;   adding the selected wireless network node to the end of the primary ordered list if the hop count is zero;   comparing a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the selected wireless network node to an RSSI of a wireless network node preceding the selected wireless network node in the primary list; and   re-organizing the primary list to rank the selected wireless network node ahead of the preceding wireless network node if the RSSI of the selected wireless network node is greater than the RSSI of the preceding wireless network node.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein creating a secondary ordered list comprises:
 selecting a wireless network node from among the plurality of wireless network nodes;   determining the hop count of the selected wireless network node with respect to the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the primary ordered list;   adding the selected wireless network node to the end of the secondary ordered list if the hop count is zero;   comparing a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes to an RSSI of a wireless network node preceding the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes in the secondary ordered list; and   re-organizing the secondary ordered list to rank the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes ahead of the preceding wireless network node if the RSSI of the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes is greater than the RSSI of the preceding wireless network node.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein appending the primary ordered list comprises:
 selecting a wireless network node from the secondary ordered list;   determining whether the wireless network node selected from the secondary ordered list is already ranked above the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the primary ordered list in the previous iteration of the primary ordered list;   determining whether the wireless network node selected from the secondary ordered list is already ranked in the previous iteration of the primary ordered list if the wireless network node selected from the secondary ordered list is not ranked above the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the primary ordered list in the previous iteration of the primary ordered list;   adding the wireless network node selected from the secondary ordered list to the primary ordered list after the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the primary ordered list according to the order of wireless network nodes in the secondary ordered list if the wireless network node from the secondary ordered list is not already ranked in the previous iteration of the primary ordered list; and   re-organizing the primary ordered list to rank the wireless network node selected from the secondary ordered list after the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the primary ordered list according to the order of wireless network nodes in the secondary ordered list if the wireless network node from the secondary ordered list is already ranked in the previous iteration of the primary ordered list.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising outputting the appended primary ordered list of wireless network nodes as a defined order for a maintenance route among process devices corresponding to the wireless network nodes according to the ranking of the wireless network nodes in the appended primary ordered list after the plurality of wireless network nodes are included in the appended primary ordered list, wherein each wireless network node in the appended primary ordered list corresponds to a stop point along the route. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a start of the physical route comprises the physical location within the process control system of the process device corresponding to the wireless network node first listed in the appended primary ordered list, wherein the wireless network node first listed in the appended primary ordered list corresponds to the wireless network node having the strongest signal strength with the wireless network gateway device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising displaying the physical route on a display screen. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising displaying the physical route to a user on a handheld device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising mapping the physical route over a map of the process control system. 
     
     
         23 . A system for automatically generating a maintenance route in a process control system, wherein the process control system includes a wireless gateway network device and a plurality of wireless network nodes in wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device, the system comprising:
 a processor;   a memory operatively coupled to the processor;   a display device operatively coupled to the processor and the memory;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to iteratively select wireless network nodes from an initial list of wireless network nodes in direct wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device beginning with the first wireless network node, where the wireless network nodes of the initial list are ranked therein according to a signal strength of a wireless connection with the wireless gateway network device;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to, for each iteration, create a subsequent list of wireless network nodes in direct wireless communication with the wireless network node selected from the initial list, wherein the wireless network nodes of the subsequent list are ranked therein according to a signal strength of a wireless connection with the wireless network node selected from the initial list; and   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to, for each iteration, append the initial list with the wireless network nodes in the subsequent list, wherein each wireless network node appended to the initial list is ranked therein after the wireless network node selected from the initial list according to the signal strength of its wireless connection with the wireless network node selected from the initial list.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to create the initial list of wireless network nodes in direct wireless communication with the wireless gateway network device, wherein the wireless network nodes comprising the initial list are organized according to decreasing signal strength with the wireless gateway network device. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the routine to create the initial list of wireless network nodes comprises:
 a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to select a wireless network node from among the plurality of wireless network nodes;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to determine the hop count of the selected wireless network node with respect to the wireless gateway network device;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to add the selected wireless network node to the end of the initial list if the hop count is zero;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to compare a wireless connection signal strength of the selected wireless network node to a wireless connection signal strength of a wireless network node preceding the selected wireless network node in the initial list; and   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to re-organize the initial list to rank the selected wireless network node ahead of the preceding wireless network node if the wireless connection signal strength of the selected wireless network node is greater than the wireless connection signal strength of the preceding wireless network node.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the routine stored to create a subsequent list comprises:
 a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to select a wireless network node from among the plurality of wireless network nodes;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to determine the hop count of the selected wireless network node with respect to the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the initial list;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to add the selected wireless network node to the end of the subsequent list if the hop count is zero;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to compare a wireless connection signal strength of the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes to a wireless connection signal strength of a wireless network node preceding the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes in the subsequent list; and   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to re-organize the subsequent list to rank the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes ahead of the preceding wireless network node if the wireless connection signal strength of the selected wireless network node from the plurality of wireless network nodes is greater than the wireless connection signal strength of the preceding wireless network node.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the routine stored to append the initial list comprises:
 a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to select a wireless network node from the subsequent list;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to determine whether the wireless network node selected from the subsequent list is already ranked above the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the initial list in the previous iteration of the initial list;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to determine whether the wireless network node selected from the subsequent list is already ranked in the previous iteration of the initial list if the wireless network node selected from the subsequent list is not ranked above the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the initial list in the previous iteration of the initial list;   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to add the wireless network node selected from the subsequent list to the initial list after the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the initial list according to the order of wireless network nodes in the subsequent list if the wireless network node from the subsequent list is not already ranked in the previous iteration of the initial list; and   a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to re-organize the initial list to rank the wireless network node selected from the subsequent list after the wireless network node selected from the previous iteration of the initial list according to the order of wireless network nodes in the subsequent list if the wireless network node from the subsequent list is already ranked in the previous iteration of the initial list.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to define a physical route among process devices corresponding to the wireless network nodes according to the ranking of the wireless network nodes in the appended initial list after the plurality of wireless network nodes are included in the appended initial list, wherein each process device corresponding to a wireless network node in the appended initial list corresponds to a stop point along the route. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein a start of the physical route comprises the physical location within the process control system of the process device corresponding to the wireless network node first listed in the appended initial list, wherein the wireless network node first listed in the appended initial list corresponds to the wireless network node having the strongest signal strength with the wireless network gateway device. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to display the physical route on the display device. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising a routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed by the processor to map the physical route over a map of the process control system.